Manipur’s First SEZ Looks To Woo IT Biggies

By Esha Roy

Imphal, Mar 2 : The trouble-torn state of Manipur is all to get its first Special Economic Zone. The state has earmarked 27 acres of land and has engaged Accenture to prepare a detailed project report.

“Apart from IT enabled services the SEZ will be completely self-contained with a hotel, health centre, shopping centre, guesthouse as well as serviced apartments so that the employees can work and stay on the premises,’’ said Chief Secretary of Manipur DS Poonia.

Project-in-charge for the state government N Deben says that an industry was the only way to “bring industries into Manipur’’ and take the state forward. “An IT industry is however appropriate. It is not bound by the environment and that much infrastructure is not required. Manipur is already connected and any shortcomings can always be improved upon,’’ said Deben.

When talking of the inefficient power situation (most households in Imphal are pressed to even receive eight hours of electricity daily) Deben says that a separate substation will be set up within the complex guaranteeing 24×7 power supply.

Accenture will also help the state government set up BPOs within the complex.

“According to the Accenture survey, 25 per cent of the BPO industry is already manned by people hailing from the state. We believe that given the right employment opportunities, most Manipuris will want to come back and work in the state,’’ said Deben.

In January, a team of Manipur government officials visited IT firms in Bangalore to woo them. A team from Nasscom will arrive in Imphal next week to look at the project and the feasibility of setting up IT enabled services. “The plan is to attract a big company like an Infosys or a Wipro,’’ added Deben.

“The state government will therefore be investing between Rs 300-500 crores to get the SEZ up and running and sustainable. This is quite a large figure for a state like Manipur,’’ said Nilaya Verma of Accenture heading the team, adding that the SEZ would take at least 2-3 years to become functional.

Baichung Keen To Promote Football in Northeast

Guwahati, Mar 2 : Former Indian football team captain Baichung Bhutia believes the entire north-eastern region is full of football talents and with proper guidance and support players can be turned to stars. Bhutia, who recently retired from international football, addressing a press conference here today with Gaurav Gogoi and Assam Football Association secretary Ankur Dutta here today, said he is now ready to promote football in Assam along with other north-eastern States.

He hoped, like Manipur and Mizoram, Assam will also be able to produce international footballers soon if proper planning is adopted. Bhutia, who is in Nagaon for a series of friendly matches, advocated hosting soccer friendlies. He said seeing leading players in action youngsters could learn a lot. He also opined that, setting up a football academy is mandatory in order to nurture the talents. Bhutia also said the academies have to tie up with clubs so that the talented players can expose their potentialities through their clubs. He also praised State Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain for organising a series of friendly football matches in Nagaon among the leading teams of the country.

Gaurav Gogoi, son of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, while addressing the mediapersons said he is very much interested in the uplift of games and sports in the State.

Gogoi said he in his personal capacity will extend a helping hand to the sports organisations so that the talents could be unearthed and nurtured properly. He said he loves the game of football very much and hoped with proper guidance to youngsters, Assam will be able to produce good teams.

Friendly match: I-League outfit Pailon Arrows of Kolkata will take on Green Valley Sports Club in an exhibition football match at SAI New Field complex ground here tomorrow. Informing this in the press conference, AFA secretary Ankur Dutta said the Kolkata team will reach here from Nagaon and the match will start at 2.30 pm. The match has been organised as a part of promotional venture of the game in the State.

Arunachal, Meghalaya Interested in Joint Package For Tourists

Shillong, Mar 2 : Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have expressed interest in having a joint tour package for tourists in the North Eastern region.

"The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh is enthusiastic about having a joint package for tourists in the region," Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told a workshop on 'Avenues for Entrepreneurship in Tourism' here.

He said, "When two states offers a package jointly, it becomes more attractive for prospective tourists."

Sangma has also suggested to his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart for a joint-workshop to push the idea forward.

He said, once the package was successful, other like minded states in the region would be roped in.

Cyber Crime Rises in Mizoram

Aizawl, Mar 1 : The Mizoram government, rattled by the rise in incidents of crimes in the state, will set up a cyber crime police station in Aizawl, with staff well versed in the use of computers.

A police official in Aizawl said last night that the government wanted to curb cyber offences, from hacking to unauthorised viewing of pornographic videos in cyber cafes and reported attempts to tamper with ATM cards to illegally withdraw cash.

Chief minister Lalthanhawla, addressing a seminar in Aizawl on crimes against women last Sunday, had called for steps to tackle crimes against women.

There were 168 incidents of crime against women like rape, attempt to rape, molestation and trafficking last year while 19 cases were registered in the first two months this year.

At Hnahthial town of Lunglei on Sunday, a six-year-old Mizo girl was lured to the jungle from the church lawn where she was playing with her friends, by Lalthanzauva, aged 40, and raped.

Interim budget: The Mizoram government will present a truncated interim budget in its Legislative Assembly session on March 20, for four months only, from April this year. Sources in the Assembly secretariat said last night that the government was forced to present a curtailed budget in the ensuing session.

They said the Planning Commission had “failed” at the beginning of this year to allot a firm annual plan outlay to the government, led by chief minister Lalthanhawla.

Assembly secretary Ngurthanzuala said state finance minister H. Liansailova would seek a vote-on-account budget for four months only.

Brahmaputra Dries Up Arunachal! China Responsible?

The Siang (Brahmaputra) river originating from Tibet was suddenly found to have almost dried up at a town in Arunachal Pradesh, a state government spokesman said on Wednesday night.

People of century-old Pasighat town in East Siang district found that the water level of the river receded so much on Wednesday evening that it almost dried, Tako Dabi said.

Dabi, also the political advisor to Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, expressed apprehension that China could have diverted the water of the river, which is known as Yarlong Tsangpo in Tibet, or there could be some artificial blockade due to which this has happened.

Image: BSF soldiers patrol on a boat in the waters of river Brahmaputra in Assam
Photographs: Reuters 

'The panic of the people cannot be simply brushed off'

On June 9, 2000, the water level of Siang rose suddenly by 30 m and inundated almost the entire township causing widespread destruction to property besides claiming seven lives following the collapse of a hydropower dam in Tibet, said Dabi, who himself inspected the dried bed of the river.
Dabi suggested that the Centre and its agencies like the Central Water Commission should immediately conduct a study in collaboration with the state government to find the crux of the problem.
The panic of the people cannot be simply brushed off, he said.

Image: Flood-affected people sit in a damaged hut as they wait for relief supplies after an embankment of river Brahmaputra broke in Arunachal
Photographs: Reuters 

China's cascade hydropower dams a challenge

Yarlung Tsangpo, the highest river in the world, is a watercourse that originates at Tamlung Tso Lake in western Tibet, southeast of Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.
It later forms the South Tibet Valley and Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, before entering India at Tuting in Arunachal as Siang, takes the name of Brahmaputra in Assam and enters Bangladesh and is known as Megna.
In the Upper Mekong Basin in Yunnan Province, China has planned to construct eight cascade hydropower dams, the first of which, the Manwan Dam, was completed in 1996.

Image: Manwan Dam

Over 52,000 Nagas Meet To Chart A Path To Peace

The most important factor in any ‘peoples’ movement are the people. No solution is possible without them and though peace still remains elusive, this meeting— with its resolutions and recommendations—will make the groups accountable, and give the Naga people a stake in their future, says Avalok Langer
(From right to left) Thuingaleng Muivah and Isak Swu of the NSCN (IM), Gen Khole and Kitovi Zhimomi of the NSCN (KK) and Brig. Singnya and Zhopra Vero of the NNC/FGN at the meeting of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation on 29 February “The biggest hurdle in finding a solution to the 64-year-old Indo–Naga dispute is that the Nagas are confused. They do not know what they want; how will a solution ever come?” explained a government official to TEHELKA less than two weeks ago. However, on Wednesday 29 February, in Dimapur, Nagaland, 52,000 Nagas from all walks of life spoke in one voice and ratified four resolutions presented in the landmark meeting of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation. Spearheaded by the Naga National Council (NNC) in 1946, the Naga struggle for sovereignty, which they claim based on their historical rights, has seen many twists and turns. The movement that started under one leader, Dr AZ Phizo, the NNC has many claimants today, in seven different ‘underground’ groups. Despite a ceasefire with the Centre, infighting between the groups has ensured that peace and relative normalcy in Nagaland remains elusive.

What compounds the problem is that though the negotiations between Government of India and Th Muivah and Isaak Swu of NSCN (IM) are in their ‘final stages’, a lasting solution is only possible if all seven groups as well as the Naga people endorse the solution. In light of this, Wednesday’s meeting could be a step in the right direction.

Three ‘underground’ groups—National Socialist Council of Nagaland [Isaak-Muivah] NSCN (IM); National Socialist Council of Nagaland [Kitovi-Khole] NSCN (KK); National Socialist Council of Nagaland [Khaplang] NSCN (K); Naga National Council/Federal Government Nagaland (NNC/FGN)—along with 52,000 Nagas from different civil societies, villages, churches and states have ratified four resolutions. The main thrust of which are:

1: Admit that the long history of the Naga conflict has inflicted deep and inexpressible pain to the Naga people, own up to their own sins, acknowledge and support those who have apologised and sought forgiveness.

Impact: This admission of guilt and subsequent forgiveness has been seen as the first step to burying years of bad blood and reconciliation.

2: End all armed conflict as of 29th February 2012.

Impact: For years now, bad blood between the groups has resulted in violence. Sporadic violence continues, but the people of Nagaland are committed to peace, that is the need of the hour.

3: They acknowledged the role, commitment and contributions of the Naga National Counil, AZ Phizo, SS Khaplang, Myanmar-based chairman of NSCN (K), Gen (Retd) Khole and Brig (Retd) Singnya.

Impact: While this may seem trivial to some, it is a big step. Phizo, Khaplang, Khole and Singya have all played a significant role in the struggle and cannot be sidelined or forgotten. This seems to be a move to placate hurt sentiments and bring them into the peace process. This is also important in light of the recent statement made by the NSCN (Khaplang) leadership who want to re-engage in the reconciliation and peace process.

4: They agreed that sovereignty lies with the Naga people and their will is supreme. Any negotiation process must focus on how the Nagas can determine, safeguard and exercise their historical and political rights in a contemporary and inter-related world.

Impact: Sovereignty has been an uneasy topic amongst the Nagas, and with globalisation, the idea of sovereignty itself has changed. It is believed that ‘absolute’ or ‘complete’ sovereignty is no longer possible, but a special arrangement with the Centre which allows the Nagas to govern themselves could be the way forward.

The biggest impact of this meeting was the recommendation made by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) to form an expert body or common platform. The body will comprise experts and intellectual who will debate, discuss and chart the next step in the Naga journey. Though the recommendation was not ratified, if created it will allow the Naga people to join and shape the peace process. The most important factor in any ‘peoples’ movement are the people. No solution is possible without them and though peace still remains elusive, this meeting— with its resolutions and recommendations—will make the groups accountable, and give the Naga people a stake in their future.

Avalok Langer is a Correspondent with Tehelka. avalok@tehelka.com

Naga Chilli Vodka is Enough to Make Grown Men Cry

While it’s not quite the as hot as the insane 2 million SHU Scorpion Pepper, the Naga Chilli Vodka is still criminally hot.

In fact, it’s so hot it almost took Philip Schofield off air when he tasted the spicy tipple – it even comes with a health warning.

It’s produced by infusing the vodka with Naga Jolokia chillies – so many in fact that it’s turned the vodka a kind of fire-orange colour.

The resulting poison ranks at 100,000 scovilles, substantially hotter than even most “hot” chilli sauces; a Jalopeno pulls in at a pathetic 5,000 SHU by comparison. It’s the kind of thing you’d normally see coming out of Mexico or South America, but it’s actually a crazy British creation.

Master of Malt, a Tunbridge Wells-based fine liquor retailer, has its creation up for just £31.95 a bottle – that’s only for 700mls though, so you might need a couple, especially if you want to prove your manhood to your avid party invitees. You are mega-chilli hard, right?

She Dresses For Success

By Virginia N. Sherry

Beauty stylist Rakshandra Ahshan, right, poses for a picture with her prize-winning model, Precious Spring, at a recent fashion show.

DONGAN HILLS -- Born in India, Rakshanda Ahshan arrived on Staten Island 12 years ago. She came well-versed in glamorous transformations. She studied the art and craft of hair design and makeup on her home turf in Assam state in northeast India, earning a license there in 1990.

Now a Dongan Hills resident, she has provided bridal makeup and henna-tattoo services to the Indian community here. Her eye is focused on a more ambitious dream, though: Opening the borough’s first Indian-style beauty salon, she told the Advance.

Toward this goal, she participated in August in a four-week training program at the Center for Family Life Cosmetology Project in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn, and earned a certificate. Next, she enrolled in a full-time, nine-month program at the Hair Design Institute in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. She will graduate in April.

Ms. Ahshan’s instructors at the Institute encouraged her to enter its various themed contests: Bridal, Halloween, Christmas, Winter Wonderland, and Valentine’s Day. She did and — drawing on her ethnic background and skills — always dressed her models in elegant Indian style, including one outfit that she sewed by hand for the Winter Wonderland event.

“I won all the contests during the school year,” she proudly reported.

Her most recent first-place win was at the Valentine’s Day show, with Precious Spring — a Brooklyn resident and fellow student at the Institute — serving as her model.

The fashion show — with 29 models — featured two themes, fantasy and romantic.

“I choose fantasy, and again used Indian dress, jewelry, and makeup,” said Ms. Ahshan. Her model, Ms. Spring, “is an American girl who is beautiful, tall and very smart. When she presented herself, all the judges were surprised and stood up, and she was selected for first place.

“I was very happy, and thankful to all the judges, teachers and students who helped me. I wanted the Advance to write a story, to express my thanks, and show Indian beauty with an American girl,” Ms. Ahshan said.

And here’s more good news: The stunningly beautiful Precious Spring “got an offer for modeling, and she will start after she graduates from the Institute in March!” Ms. Ahshan happily reported.

Ms. Ahshan is the mother of two sons, Raheel, 11, in sixth-grade at Egbert Intermediate School, Midland Beach, and 5-year-old Rahan, in kindergarten at PS 52, Dongan Hills.

You can reach her by telephone at 718-987-0998 and 347-835-3087, or email at rakshandaahshan.2009@gmail.com.